Project: SENTINEL
by Athrias
Summary: ON HIATUS due to work, I will be back in 4/8 months. I WILL continue this thing, I just need a bit of time. - Adult themes! Gray theme! Serious ZPD!. No pairings for now. There will be fluff, and some gore. I will keep it as realistic as possible. PM/Review/Email me (In the profile) if you have any ideas for this fic; Ciao! - Currently under rewriting.
1. Valahraoin

**New fiction here, this time with ideas and a goal!**

Zootopia is one of the few movies that really caught my attention, to the point where I stopped for a second and thought: "Wow, this is amazing." An idea started to take shape in my head, and everything else started to exist around it.

My other fanfiction was something that I wrote without having an exact idea of what I was doing. No plot, no imagination and nothing to back the main character's story; I just picked the guy and dumped him in another universe, and just roll it from there.

A collab with Rainbows and Twilight! (Link in the profile!)

 **So, here it is! My Zootopia fanfiction! I'm sure it's something you've never read** _ **be-fur.**_

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(...[ACORP Recording]-[Archive ID Code: 68388-290-80014]...)

(...[Encryption Code:]-[Gamma]...)

(...[Private Key]-[File/ NOVEMBER-Eight-Two-Three-Five-Zero]..)

(...[Date:]-[4/11/2327]...)

(...[From:]-[Chief Geneticist Officer (CGO) Garrett Lockwood]- [ACORP[RID]: G-1221-4453]...)

(...[To:]-[Chief Executive Officer (CEO) James Hathaway]-[ACORP[RID]: CE-2754-7442]...)

(...[To:]-[REDACTED]...)

(...[Subject:]-[SENTINEL]...)

(...[Classification:]-[E.O.]

(...[File/Open]…)

(...[Recording/Start]…)

* * *

Section I - Valahraoin

 _Valahraoin is a toxin that acts as the proverbial double-edged sword; It enhances the user's strength, speed, reflexes, and intelligence, but at the cost of a shortened lifespan as it produces a god-like strain on the body, and its organs. To withstand the strain of Valahraoin, one needs mental strength and emotional stability_ _above the average._

 _Valahraoin cannot be injected all at once. It takes a year to fully inject a dose, for it is too potent for the body to handle it. During this year, Valahraoin travels the whole subject's body, enhancing it by a margin, making it sturdier and more athletic._

 _Once the toxin has completed the "journey", it stops in the heart, and compress itself into a drop sized sphere, a "Core". Over the year, the core increases in size with each micro-shot, reaching the size of a marble._

 _The toxin is not re-inoculable, if the subject is injected with a second dose, the body will experience total organ failure. The cause of death is the presence of said Core near the heart; If the toxin is injected once again, the core becomes unstable, and the body will start to fail in its functions_ _._

 _Once the vessel uses Valahraoin, the toxin will breach the core, spreading and enhancing everything: Bloodlust, Desire, Hunger, Strength, Speed, Reflexes, Endurance, and Dexterity_ _._

 _One of the disadvantages that the toxin brings is that the toxin can not work with the_ _Aegis Neural System Armor (A.N.S.A.),_ _thus cutting_ _VR-01's_ _abilities by half. When the toxin_ _b_ _reaches the core, it spreads immediately and flows through every muscle in the body, and, from there, it slowly returns to the heart. The organ will strain more as the toxin travels to the heart until it reaches the point of solidification_ _._

 _VR-01 has shown a phenomenal counter-mechanism: The Self-Induced High Perspiration state, or SI-HP. As the name implies, VR-01's body starts to raise its own temperature, ensuring a high level of perspiration, effectively expelling the toxin within._

 _The whole inoculation process had to restart._

 _The SI-HP state is the last resort in case of urgency. The standard way to counter Valahraoin's effect is to take a serum. The chemicals in the liquid will act on the_ _toxin's_ _molecules, liquifying the hardening toxin and effectively ensuring a safe return to the "Core." The subject is strictly forbidden to use Valahraoin again in a span of 336 hours: The equivalent of two weeks._

 _In the event that the subject wishes to use the toxin again during the recovery, it will lead to certain death._

 _When_ _Valahraoin_ _reaches the heart, the organ stops beating_ _due to the viscosity of the toxin. VR-01_ _can survive 12 minutes before starting to experience organ failure._

 _Subjects that have been injected with the Valahraoin have entered a 32 minutes frenzied state, either collapsing into convulsions or entering a feral state, followed soon after by cognitive liquefaction._

 _The_ _A.N.S.A._ _cannot work when Valahraoin is active, and when the_ _it_ _IS active, and the_ _toxin_ _starts to spread, it will retreat into the_ _Inconel Plate Holding Unit (I.P.H.U)._ _While the_ A.N.S.A. _dulls the emotions of VR-01, making him more logical, Valahraoin is the inverse, fueling emotions and_ _instinct_ _._

 _Information on the experimentation of the Valahraoin will be given on Title II, paragraph_ _seven_ _._

* * *

Section II - VR-01

 _It appears that the mutagen has reacted positively to the subject. As such, we can state that the Project is a success; Subject VR-01 has shown capabilities beyond the ones of a normal being:_

 _Speed, strength, endurance, dexterity, and intelligence have been dramatically increased alongside boosts to the subjects haptic, auditory, visual, olfactory, and chemosensitization._

 _The body does not, currently, show any sign of rejection toward the agent, nor does it seem to have damaged the subject's neural tissue, as seen with the previous subjects._

 _Valahraoin had been injected in the immobilized VR-01, and he immediately entered into a frenzied state, biting his own tongue off to cut the pain, and fell unconscious. The subject was completely drenched in sweat, and we did not find a single trace of the toxin in his blood cells._

 _Such phenomena have been triggered by the subject's brain in a Self-Induced High Perspiration state to expel the toxin out of VR-01's body, effectively cutting off the "Berserker" state. The toxin had taken a toll on the Subject's body, as his organs were strained and bleeding, but the high cell multiplication provided the answer by substituting themselves with the damaged ones._

 _Three days later, the tip of the tongue had re-grown._

" _As long as Subject VR-01 can withstand Valahraoin's Berserker state without losing his mind, or body functions, he could be classified as 'FAST PACE' in the DEFCON System. Once the state of the toxin enters the heart, VR-01's life will end. As long as the perspiration can counter the toxin's advance, VR-01 will suffer only from organ damage._ _The A.N.S.A. will aid VR-01's fight with Valarahoin as long as the body is capable of fulfilling the necessary neural commands: If the toxin overcomes VR-01's synapses, he will die. If the toxin fully solidifies inside the subject's heart, he will die."_

 _The subject is more than prepared for his mission. He has been instructed on what and who he is expected to be, who he needs to protect, and eliminate. He has received headlines on who he is expecting as allies and enemies._

 _Information on his equipment will be given in Section III._

* * *

Section III - Aegis Neural System

 _The A.N.S.A. rejects the flow of the toxin in its vessel unit, either emitting a high pitched screech, before locking itself in an overload shield, or simply falling apart and retreating on its own in the I.P.H.U; in the second case, the toxin openly tore apart the subject's neural defenses, subduing the host and entering the 'Zerk'._

 _Unlike the Gungnir System, the_ _A.N.S.A._ _grants an impassable defense. The Inconel plates harden directly proportional to the force of the impact. The whole armor can sustain a large amount of damage as seen with the ballistics results. The protection does not extend to the kineti_ _c projection;_ _In case the subject was shot from a firearm, with a firepower enough to stop a mammal, he would only stumble, but bruises will appear._

 _The A.N.S._ _A._ _armor is powered by a parasitic blood-glucose infusion and an electrolytic microstack. The suit also actively augments and maintains the wearer's adrenaline. It should be noted, however, that prolonged exposure to antagonistic neuroinhibitors can result in long-term damage to metabolic systems._

 _The armor is able to generate up to 4500N of force, allowing the vessel to perform feats that would otherwise be impossible,_ _such as stopping a tank's advance at full speed._

 _It also gives the wearer protection against radiation and physical impact. It drastically increases motor reflexes, giving users on average a 0.20 to 0.30 millisecond reaction time._

* * *

Section IV - Field Equipment

 _VR-01 will be equipped with a number of weapons for tactical flexibility and power._

 _For non-lethal adversary removal, VR-01 will be equipped with ACORP's prototypal dendrotoxin stun gun. Firing modified 9x19 rounds the fast acting toxin begins working upon skin contact causing debilitating muscle spasms in larger mammals, short term paralysis in medium sized mammals, unconsciousness in small mammals, and death in rodents._

 _For stealth mission as well as lethal takedowns VR-01 has been equipped with a silenced Walther P99; modified with an inbuilt silencer, laser module, and night sight, this weapon will allow VR-01 versatility in cramped quarters and areas with low light._

 _Additionally, VR-01 will be equipped with the prototype MK-2 High-frequency blade; The inconel plated ceramic, reinforced by powerful alternating currents oscillating at near 300,000 Hz, grants the sword the ability to cut through most objects by weakening the molecular bonds that hold the material together. Striking, cutting, and thrusting attacks are performed with the blade, with the sharpened edge and point used for lethal attacks, and the blunt edge used as a clubbing weapon._

 _In the case that VR-01's charge is captured and removed from their immediate possession VR-01 has our tactical SCAR-ExL, able to fire standard 45mm 5.56 rounds as well as our experimental 5.56 armor piercing round. The AP round is composed of a de-crystallized aluminum core jacketed in cupronickel designed for deep penetration in large mammals._

 _He is more than ready for the task you have requested._

 _You will be more than pleased, E._

(...[Recording/Stop]...)

(...[File/Close]...)

* * *

Garrett Lockwood stared blankly at the monitor. The blank screen stared back, cutting the darkness with its flickering light. The wolf sighed and clicked the 'Send' button, scratched his chin, and lit the cigarette hanging from his muzzle, as the loading circle blinked to life. It would take five or so minutes to encrypt and send the entire document, complete with images, voice recordings, and text, so he might as well relax while he could.

The inhale and exhale of the first drag felt wonderful. The nicotine filled his lungs and drove out the stress of the night out of his body, and he leaned back, groaning as his spine popped in all the right places. The office was empty and silent, as it should be at 3 in the morning, and Garrett loved it that way. Allen Corp. was a bustling bazaar during the day; filled with a cacophony of yelling, complaining, fists pounding on the desks in frustration and the occasional cry of joy from the co-worker that finished his daily quota of paperwork early.

The canine's paw fumbled on the desk, grabbing his phone and unlocking the screen. Bright light blinded his eyes as a message popped up on the device, and Garrett's eyes strained to focus as he read the text:

" _Garret, I've been preoccupied. I'm not yet dead. But that is a fate I may soon endure unless I can determine for certain the security of my persona. Extraction is becoming nearer and nearer to an inevitability. I trust you to be prepared to remove me if my judgment deems it the best immediate action."_

That was worrying news; Caster was the only means of gathering intel regarding GenSys' offensive moves, and if he was _preoccupied_ that they may be suspecting of his actions, he might as well have an extraction team on standby, ready to pick up the stoic wolf.

The virtual clock pinged 3.32 am, and Garrett sighed, running a paw through his unruly neck fur in an attempt to soothe his stiff limbs, and locked the device once more, casting a frowning glance at the monitor: the encryption was complete, and the message successfully sent.

Turning everything off, he snuffed the remains of his cigarette on the ashtray he kept on his desk; there were a few other butts in the tray as it hadn't been cleaned in a while. The wolf inhaled and exhaled, feeling calmer, and stood up, collecting his written report and putting it neatly in his briefcase. He silently walked over to the metallic elevator door and pushed the call button. The muffled whirring of the machine tickled his ears as he waited, feeling the weight of working the whole day on his shoulders more and more.

It was days like this that he missed the luxurious lifestyle that only the Lockwood Estate, _The Howling_ , could achieve. His co-workers were a nice change from the stern faces of the demanding elders, and for that, he was grateful. But he couldn't shake the feeling of freedom, and the subdued savagery chained down by the system and order that Zootopia was. Whether it be from a noisy mammal or a failed experiment, the blood-lusted thoughts assaulted him from time to time, and he dreaded the moment he'll be caught off guard.

The elevator announced its arrival with a loud ding. The wolf stepped in, pushed six specific numbers, and checked his wristwatch as the door closed: 3.39 am. The six numbers blinked yellow, before shifting to a green. Closing his eyes as the cabin started to move downward, his thoughts traveled from his old lifestyle to his current predicament.

' _Subjects that have been injected with the Valahraoin have entered a 32-minute frenzied state, either collapsing into convulsions or going into a feral state, before they suffer of cognitive liquefaction hours later.'_

That was partly true. Most of the collapsing subjects were prey, but even then, some of them entered said feral state, and started to attack, and, much to their surprise, even bite. Predators were fully immobilized, sedated and muzzled; despite all of the precautions, some of the subjects broke out of their bindings and tore apart more scientists than Garrett wanted to admit.

Thousands of mammals trained for years in facilities overseen by trainers more demanding than anything the military could whip up, before being injected with a toxin micro-dosed over the course of a year, and none of them survived.

Another ding and the door opened bringing Garrett out of his musings. The walk was short and, yet it was still strangely taxing. The soft tap of his steps bounced around the tunnel's walls, amplifying it and irritating his ears.

He entered a completely white room, with a harsh, cold, blue light that illuminated the surroundings. A metal surgeon table stood in the middle of the room. Upon the table was a black-furred panther; her chest rose and fell with each, calm, breath, her half-open amber eyes indicated her sedated state.

A single syringe laid on a metal table beside her head, the carmine liquid churned inside the tiny flask beside the injecting tool. Garrett put down the briefcase and picked up the flask, admiring the shift in the liquid; From Carmine to red, to crimson.

Garrett rounded the table and stared at the black furred belly of the, to his opinion, beautiful feline. He started to caress it, admiring how the silky fur weaved in between his fingers, pushing slightly and gently in with his hand, looking for something. His hand stopped just below her bellybutton, resting on a slight hump. Garrett frowned in slight distress, before closing his eyes, sighing.

The flesh yielded at the merciless steel, and the fiery liquid greedily descended through the needle, changing everything in its passage.

Garrett watched as the person known as Lily Edwards fell into oblivion, her subconscious not capable of withstanding the liquid. He watched as red lines, visible through her fur, started to spread from the injection point. He nodded, satisfied with the result.

Little did he know what he had unleashed would change the world.

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 **Is it good? Is it bad? Review or PM me, let me know what you think! And thank you for your patience in reading this, I appreciate it!**

I do not own Zootopia, just my own OC's!


	2. Guns and Pizzas

**A new chapter! Yay!**

So, I We decided to upload a chapter each week at best, one week and half/two at worst. I apologize in advance should we ever be late in the updating.

I also apologize for any grammar mistakes or mistyping; English isn't my first language, and I'm still improving, but I think I'm fairly decent at it.

A collab with Rainbows and Twilight! (Link in the profile!Check it out!)

This time, we get something more.. laid back, so to speak, and we get two more characters introduced!

 **So, here it is! My second chapter!**

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Liam breathed in and stepped out of the train, stretching and groaning as the aching muscles loosened. The journey from Animalia to Zootopia was four hours long, and he had been riding a packed wagon.

"That is an experience that won't happen again." The cat promised himself, glaring at the stupid elephant stuffed in a suit, who had been his seatmate throughout the whole trip. "Al? Patch me in?

"What do you need, Lee?" a different voice, tenor in pitch and tinged with a slight British accent, sounded through the cat's earring; a fairly simple, black stud pyramidal in shape and slightly raised, cammed with gold

"Just give me an update on what I'm expecting from this guy." He started to walk through the river of mammals, wanting to get out of the oppressing feeling the crowd gave. "And locate the blasted bag, while you can."

"Your target?" the voice queried, and there was a distinct sound of rustling papers, "Let me see... 33, male, red fox, roughly 1.3 meters in height. He was a con artist so you might want to watch out for that. He currently works for the ZPD and is partners to Judy Hopps, the rookie hero."

"The Night-Howler duo, right? Heard they solved the case by themselves." He breathed a sigh of relief as he entered an open space; Sahara square was bustling with mammals running to and fro. He adjusted his shoulder-bag and turned the black band in his ring to the right once again. "Where did they drop the package, again?"

"Behind the dumpster, at the back of Sahara Boutique." The voice muttered, though it was clearly amused, "It should be taped to the back of it."

"And where the hell is that..?" Liam muttered, fighting the urge to sigh. They were in the middle of July, and the heat was reaching near intolerable levels. Rounding the corner, he looked around trying to see said boutique, to no avail. "A, point me."

There was a series of taps before Alan replied, "Cross the square. When you reach fourth street, hang a left; the boutique should be about 300 meters down the road."

The square, thankfully, was almost empty, save a few animals longing near the fountain, so his walk was quite short to the back alley of "Sahara Boutique". Turning the corner, he snorted as he saw a thin yellow arrow pointing down behind the dumpster; stuck to the wall, was a black, simple case, a pelican 1720, to be precise. Pushing the dumpster away, he opened the case and whistled lowly. "Oh yeah, now we're talking. You got everything, Al?

"I'm pretty sure. I also took the liberty of procuring another... Jewelry set," Alan responded drawling the last two words. "Be careful with it, The earring acts as a short range EMP, and it should hook into your neural net. The ring spritzes fluoroantimonic acid; it's some powerful stuff, it has a pH of -31.3…" The dog trailed off, making the cat raise and eyebrow.

"How... powerful are we talking about?" There was a squeak coming from the jewel. Alan adjusted his position on the chair and made a face. "That is roughly… 100 billion, billion, billion times stronger than gastric acid."

The cat blinked. Twice. Then picked the ring on his finger and put it in the case. "Why do I have such a thing on my finger..?" There was a slight hysterical tinge in his tone.

The shepherd huffed, and Liam could _feel_ his eyes rolling at the question. "Because it melts through just about anything... Except fluoride polymers, like carbon tetrafluoride." The sound of rustling and the consequent crunching of a granola bar was heard from the other side.

The feline looked at the apparently harmless ring. "And that is what my ring is made of… Right?" Another crunch, and then some tapping on the keyboard.

"No, it's made of wood," Alan drawled sarcastically, "It's lined with it, and since I know that you have no idea what I just said, your ring is lined with Teflon." The cat made an "Ooh"- ing sound, slowly nodding his head. "Oh!"

Liam picked up an exact copy of his ring, save for two small covered holes on the sides of the silver band. The black band in the middle made a small clicking noise as the mic turned on. Putting it on his middle finger, he stowed the older prototype. Something that handy could always come useful in good hands. Besides, the thing's value reached the hundreds, so destroying it was a waste. "You always know how to make me feel good" The cat couldn't help but smirk at the poorly hidden meaning.

The smirk on the face of the shepherd who was on the other end of the mic was audible, "I take care of my own." He cracked his fingers.

"You should recognize most of the arsenal; you trained with a number of these weapons." Alan continued, "However, there are some fairly new pieces of equipment. That handle is the hilt of a MK-2 prototype High-Frequency sword; upon activation the inconel plated, ceramic blade sweeps from the bottom of the grip; this change in materials from the MK-1 allows the blade to stay sharp basically forever, and the high amounts of energy no longer damages the blade. Fully deployed the blade is about 87 cm in length."

Indeed. Liam was familiar with most of the equipment inside the case. Two guns, an assault rifle, and the prototypical sword. Why he needed so much tack, the cat didn't know; he was protecting a fox for fuck's sake, not the bloody president. But that was beside the point. Considering the amount of equipment allowed in this mission, he would be quite surprised if someone might even consider coming closer to the police officer. Who would even want to attack a cop, anyway?

A S.C.A.R. rifle's polimery case gleamed dimly in the waning sunlight. It was a light model, a Mk 16, mod 0 with a modified STANAG 30 rounds clip. _'This thing can shoot over 6 hundred bullets in a minute with a range of 300 meters or so..'._ Picking the magazine, he ejected a single round and turned it in his hand. The rimless, bottleneck cartridge was spotless, and the base shone in the light, exposing the 5.56x45mm engraved on it. _'Such a tiny thing can travel up to 700 meters per second. Should it impact at such speed on flesh, the limb would simply shatter. Fragmentation is a frightful thing..'_. His eyes returned on the Pelican 1720 below.

Inside the case, besides the S.C.A.R., were two barrels; A 14 inches and an 18 inches, easily switchable in under two clicks. A simple and yet, beautiful Leupold VX-6 rested near the barrels, while two separate magazines, STANAG 30 rounds 'High reliability', one in simple black, the other one painted red, laid beside other 3 of each type neatly piled up and blocked with a belt. " Alan, there are two types of ammo for the FN, red and black. Why's that?"

"The red castings denote our new armor piercing rounds, the de-crystallized aluminum core is 2x lighter, 4x denser and 3 times stronger than steel," Alan informed. Liam made an acknowledging noise and put the cartridge down.

The cat's next choice was the guns. He had to give it to Alan, he knew what he liked. A Glock 17 Generation 4 9x19mm with a black barrel rested next to a total black Walther P99. The latter had two silencers, and a LLM01, which, Liam guessed, was for the P99, and both were equipped with gray Talon Grips.

The Glock's bullets were painted in blue, causing Liam's eyebrows to rise in confusion. "Al, why the hell are the bullets painted in blue?" He ejected one and frowned when he noticed that the whole thing was painted.

"That would be because they aren't live rounds as it were; that is our prototypical stun round," Alan responded, taking a loud bite on his bar as he did. Liam's ear flickered in annoyance at the sound.

"Would you stop doing that?" He growled, pushing the round in the magazine again. He got a loud crunch directly into the microphone as an answer. Shaking his head to scroll the sound off his ear, he tried to redirect the conversation on the rounds again. "You said stun rounds, expatiate."

"Dendrotoxin." Was the simple answer from the dog. Liam huffed, pushed the Glock in the case and made to check the Walter's magazine, only to find normal, .10×22mm S&W, bullets. "Because that explains a lot, Al."

"It causes unconsciousness upon contact in most mammals; bears, giraffes, rhinos, hippos, and elephants won't be knocked unconscious but will be incapacitated, in panthers, and animals of comparable size it causes edged consciousness. In animals about your size, the toxin causes unconsciousness lasting between five and seven minutes. In small animals, like bunnies, and rodents it causes a coma lasting between three hours to seven days." Alan sighed, crunching his granola.

"That would cover my so-called mission regarding the ZPD. The non-lethal policy sure is a pain in the ass, sometimes." The cat mused, placing the blue bullet its magazine. Animalia's police department allowed the use of lethal guns as a case of self-defense. There was a lock on the gun's holster that could be unlocked with a special permission granted via radio. The APD will give the green light, and unlock the guns with a single button that will send out a simple electromagnetic pulse. Once the threat is over, all units will return the guns within the day, so the department could lock them once more.

Since Zootopia's a fourth the size of Animalia, both demographically and geographically speaking, the ZPD had an easy time in allowing a non-lethal policy regarding predators and preys. Since his 'mission' was to find any remnants of the Night Howler case, he will have to be in direct contact with both Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, and that was perfect. He could keep an eye on Nick almost 24/7, thanks to this 'job'. Plus, Alan MAY have had a part in his apartment location so that he was stationed near the fox.

Holstering the Glock in on his right hip and the WP99 in his bag, he picked up a glove that rested near the prototype blade in the case, and noticed two things; The first was a tiny grapple hook on top of the glove and a hollow section on the underside of it. Guessing, he placed the handle of the blade in it, and it fit perfectly. Pleased to find out that he could deploy the sword almost instantly, he closed the Pelican and picked it up. "Now, where's my oh so humble abode, my dear fluffy butt?"

"221B Bakers street." The Shepherd replied dryly, "1955 Cypress Lane, Downtown apartment 312. You should get that tail of yours moving, the next train is leaving soon; and before you leave you might want to reach under the trash can lid; The bag with your ID and wallet should be taped there."

Rolling his eyes, the cat ripped the small white package under the lid and opened it. He almost snorted as he read "Liam T. Reed" printed in the name section. Pocketing the thing, he let out an amused whistle as he opened the wallet. "Oh, You treat me good!" There was a black, shiny, credit card with yellow letters printed on. "Allen Corporation"'s acronym glared at him, like it was asking why he hadn't used the bloody thing already.

He then remembered the words of the canine in his earring and started to run to the station. Missing a few close calls, he dove through the closing doors of the train and sat down on a seat to get his breath under control. He hated with a passion sudden sprints; They left him short of breath, and that was irritating for him, because his body was built on speed, so seeing him pant after a little sprint was a bit embarrassing. He could blame the heat, though.

The warm, orange colors of Sahara Square blurred to the more vibrant clashes of Downtown, and the chatter in the wagon lessened with the more stops they passed. The sun was starting it's waning descend when Liam stepped out of the train and swiftly ascended the escalators. Recalling the words of the Australian shepherd, he smirked at the joke. "You read too much, Al." He murmured. "Next thing I know, you might be cracking dirty jokes", and allowed himself to chuckle this time. "Point me, will ya?"

"You know you love the dirtier side of me. Take Pack street to 72nd and take a left; you should find Cypress Lane next to the downtown park. It's a third floor room with a view - I know how much you enjoy people watching," There was the distinct sound of air being forced through a small orifice as Alan took a drag on his vape.

Liam immediately turned to his right, walking down the street. Downtown was much cooler than Sahara Square and windier; the sudden shifts in the air gave him a bit of a disheveled look. Stopping at a red traffic light, his eyes lazily ran over the street, sifting the crowd, looking at every single animal, distinguishing each characteristic on every mammal that had been seen. "What's the population ratio here?" He mumbled, fumbling with his ring.

"Mm, what?" Alan asked through a mouthful of granola.

"..." The deadpan look on Liam's face melted the next four cars that passed in front of him. Slowly, his paw met his face and started to massage his eyes, as he let out a sigh. "What's the ratio, between Predators and Prey, in Zootopia, you dumb fuzzball." The traffic light hit green, and he made his way to the other side, before turning right. He started to crack his right hand's fingers as rounded the corner.

"Sorry, I was called away." The speedy, steady taps of Alan's pads on the keyboard informed Liam of his research. "Roughly ten percent of Zootopia's population is made of predatory animals like us; that is due to our low fertility rates, among other things." Alan responded.

Liam's eyebrows furrowed slightly at the information. The ratio was rather disproportionate; Animalia was three times the size of Zootopia, and roughly ten times its population but the odds were much more even than this. Perhaps it was because of this low ratio that Zootopia refused to enforce the electric collars for predators. Unfortunately, that was not the case for Animalia. Every predator that enters the city, and leaves his or her home, will have to wear a shock collar that will release an electric current that causes direct muscle lock. Liam had seen his fair share of predators whine and wail as the collars were activated because of some prick prey that had decided to mess with them and instigate a reaction. "How far until the park, Al?"

"Click-five," was the curt response, as Alan leaned back in his ergonomic gamer chair, "I'm thinking hibachi for dinner, what's your opinion" It was a common thing between the two to just talk when the "threat level" as the pair called it was green.

"You know that it's not called hibachi. What're you gonna cook?. Talking about dinner, find me something good nearby, so I can get something to eat. I'm too lazy right now to go somewhere else." Downtown park appeared ahead, and he started to wrack his brain to find Cypress Lane. He wanted a shower and fast.

"Scallops and egg fried rice... Or I might have some seared tuna." There was the sound of rustling coming from the earring, followed by a small thump. "Turn right on Park, it will bring you to the complex."

Liam felt his eyes automatically raise to the sky, and he dangerously avoided collision with a rhino. The mammal threw him a glare, which he ignored, lest he might splatter the dumb mammal's brain on the sidewalk. He felt dirty at the moment, and that was something intolerable. It was so likely for Alan to have tuna just to tease him about his feline nature. It was not his fault that he becomes stupid when he eats tuna. Who could blame him, anyway? The thing was divine blessed. "How… unsurprising, really."

"What, the tuna..?" Alan dragged out the last word as realization struck, "Take a right, here, it should put you about 100 meters from your apartments."

"Why, thank you kindly, fuzzbutt." Taking said right, Liam took his first sight of where he was going to live for quite a bit of time. 'Probably for a long bit of time.' He really didn't want to lose time talking to someone, but, alas, the landlord must be informed of who he was and where he was going to sleep. Entering the building, he immediately noticed the gangly looking leopard closing a door to Liam's left side.

The cat coughed, attracting the male's attention. "Who're you? We've got no rooms to spare, so you better go somewhere else." With that said, the leopard turned around and started to make way to the stairs. Liam's eyes narrowed a bit in irritation and coughed once more to attract the feline's attention. The other turned around with an irritated look and opened his mouth to speak, but Liam beat him to it.

"I believe there is a room booked for a Liam Reed if I'm not mistaken." He drawled, taking pleasure in the leopard's widening eyes and consequent apologies. He extended his hand, and a single red card was dropped in it, the number 314 written in a dull gold. Not sparing a glance at the still apologizing leopard, Liam trotted up the stairs, reaching the 3rd floor, and made way to his number.

Opening the door, he was pleasantly surprised to find out that the whole apartment was actually spacious. Putting the case on the table, he looked around; a quick tour of the complex later, Liam was quite satisfied with it. It had everything a man could want or need to live, plus, a balcony! And a study next to his bedroom.

Outside, the first drops from a cloud started to fall.

Liam breathed in, held it in for a few seconds, before exhaling loudly. Glancing at the case, he picked it up and transferred it to the bottom of the wardrobe in his bedroom. You never knew when someone might barge in and spot your personal stash of weapons.

"I would suggest you introduce yourself tonight... unless, of course, you are planning to do that after saving him from whatever he needs body guarding from…" There was a tapping sound before music began playing softly in the background.

"Alan, my dear puppy, must I teach you everything?" The cat chided jokingly, tapping his ring to create static in the microphone. Venturing into the living room, he reached inside his white shoulder-bag and retrieved his phone. Tapping the password away, he dialed the number filed by Alan to the nearest pizzeria. "If you want to win a man's friendship, you must aim for his stomach."

"Or his cock" Alan quipped.

Liam choked on his own spit. He hated when the dog made these quips out of the blue. They caught him unprepared most of the time. Keyword being most.

The cat glared at his ring, the words mulling over his head for a bit, before nodding. "Yeah, that too."

A quick glance at his watch told him that it was 10 minutes to 8P M. He decided that he had been dirty too much for his liking,; he undressed, entered the bathroom, stepped in the tub and turned the warm water on.

He couldn't help but sigh in pleasure.

The magical thing about taking a shower is the feeling of the daily stress slip off of you. Warmness seeps into your muscles, and you actually feel them relax. Your thoughts dull to a whispered lullaby and your hands knead just in the right places to release tension. And of course, the bonus of not smelling like rubbish.

It felt like an instant, but twenty to thirty minutes had already passed.

Steam cascaded from the bathroom as Liam stepped out while he dried his fur. He didn't want to appear like a puffball, but he didn't want to comb it too much either. Pushing the bedroom door open, he picked up his spare clothes and dressed himself. A simple sleeveless black hoodie and gray cargo pants was his choice of clothes. He picked up his jewelry and put it on, feeling Alan mutter about his food. "How's the food coming along, Al?"

"Food is coming along quite well, I had to recalibrate my stovetop after I realized that it was set to broil... burnt a few scallops there; also had to make Lo Mien as I used the last of my rice a few nights ago." Alan replied, leaning back in his ergonomic gaming, sitting-on-one's-ass-all-day, chair, "How is **your** dinner coming along? I would say that home cooking is the way to many a man's hearts but yours leaves a lot to be desired. As an aside the jewelry is now waterproof; I know that you requested that for the next version. "

Liam huffed in amusement at the dog's information on the jewelry. Sure, tell the fact _after_ he took the damn shower. As for the first question.. "Well, I just got here at 8 PM or so, dirty, tired and with nothing to cook. Did you find me a good pizzeria like the good puppy I know you are?"

"Well there is one that goes by Hyloba... Apparently it's supposed to be pretty good." He could _feel_ the happy wagging of the other male's tail. Shaking his head, he fished his phone out of his bag and unlocked the device.

"For how long are you going to keep eating those things? You know I hate it when you munch on purpose in the mic. Patch me the number, will ya?"

The question was purposefully ignored as a number automatically composed itself on the phone. "Well, let's see if your search's gone go-" The sound of a car stopping, its door opening and closing and a loud yelp came from the slightly open window. Reaching the glass, he looked below, and smirked at an orange flame disappear inside the building.

"Hyloba's Quicktime, if it's later than twenty-five minutes, pizza's free" A roughish voice with a bit of forced politeness answered on the phone, and Liam felt a smug smirk tug at his lips as he headed, slowly, to the door on the other side of the apartment.

"Hello, I would like to order two simple Margherita's at 1955 Cypress Lane, Downtown apartment 312. I would like to have them as soon as possible, I'm willing to pay more." He closed the call as soon as 'Yes' left the mammal's mouth, opened the door, stepped outside, and smiled amiably at the slightly drenched, eyebrow raised, red fox.

"Well, hello there! I'm Liam Reed, your new neighbor. May I ask who you are?" He inquired - politely- to the vulpine, extending his hand in a handshake, which was replied with a slight, polite smile.

"Nicholas Wilde" was the short answer. Apparently, the day had been tiring for him, and the disheveled look clearly spoke volumes of it.

"Nice to meet you, Nicholas. Hey, I was expecting a friend of mine to have dinner with, but he called me just a minute ago, and told me that he'll be coming next week because work messed his schedule up." He let go of Nick's hand and pointed at his apartment, shrugging. "The thing is, I already ordered two pizzas, and I know that I can't eat both. Do you want one? My treat."

Nick mulled over the words for about thirty seconds, before shrugging and gesturing to the open door of his apartment. "Sure, let me change into something more comfortable. I'll knock when I'm done."

The cat nodded and re-entered in his lodging, closing the door with a twirl of his tail and overall feeling smug.

"Time to work, fluffbutt."

* * *

 **Is it good? Is it bad? T** **hank you for your patience in reading this, I appreciate it!**

Also, I do not own Zootopia, just my own OC's!


	3. Game without Duty

**A new chapter! Yay!**

I apologize for any grammar mistakes or mistyping; English isn't my first language, and I'm still improving, but I think I'm fairly decent at it.

A collab with Rainbows and Twilight! (Link in the profile!Check it out!)

This time, we get something more.. exciting! Also, tons of references!

 **So, here it is! My third chapter!**

* * *

 _He woke up surrounded by blood. The whole room was painted in it; the distinctive color visible even in the dim light provided by the cheap bulb overhead. Shadows danced around him, laughing and toying with him, daring him to step towards, and through, the door in front of him. The dancing, flickering lights caused his head to pound._

 _He took the daring step, and the whole room froze. Absolute, maddening, silence fell upon the blood soaked space; the beating of his heart, suddenly, unbearably loud._

 _A furious growl erupted in his ears, startling him into taking a step back out of instinct. Too late, he noticed the gangly limb grabbing his throat and lifting him up with little effort._

 _His eyesight blurred almost instantly, and he coughed blood as the grip tightened. An ear-shattering scream echoed in his head as blackness started to seep in his sight. The only thing he could see was the monster's face._

 _That of a baby. A softly smiling baby, with his… Her? Eyes closed._

 _He gurgled, blood seeping in his mouth, and started to cough, choking on his own life force._

 _The face bent down in front of his, and everything stilled, even the screams._

 _He stared at the angelic, blood stained face of the cherubim, feeling a sense of emptiness seep in his body, chilling him in a mind-numbing coldness._

 _The child opened his eyes, and a gaping abyss stared back._

 _He screamed, and died._

* * *

Liam Reed woke up with the sunlight wafting in his apartment, showering it in a golden hue. He didn't pant, nor was he sweating; he was perfectly calm, if not a bit stiff from all the traveling that had been done the day before. He sat up and yawned, stretching the sleep out of his limbs and purring as the bones popped in a cacophony of sounds. Looking behind, he watched the tracking receiver pulse with a faint blue light, signaling that no one was present in the personal space of Nick Wilde.

The tiny thing was a wondrous fruit of Alan Fisk's mind. The Australian Shepherd was a genius; you could spout shit about anything, and everything, that came to your mind at that moment, and given enough time and materials, he could make it out of scratch. The transmitter had been installed on Nick, with the fox being unaware of said 2-millimeter disk planted underneath his fur collar.

The transmitter worked with impulses. Every 30 seconds it would send an impulse with a maximum range of 1 spherical meter. If someone, during the night, were to approach Nicholas' personal space, the transmitter would emit an enormous impulse, covering an air space of 35 kilometers. The receiver will pick up the signal, and emit a shrill beeping sound, alerting Liam that someone, maybe unpleasant, was near the transponder, and promptly relay coordinates of the transmitter to him.

Of course, the device could go off in only two ways. The first was a direct command from Alan's stratospherically advanced computer, useful in case the range of the blast was too far away from the receiver. The other way was based on the biological processes of the mammal the transponder was attached to; If corticosteroid levels reached a certain threshold, the device activated.

The cat's paw caressed his neck, massaging the stiffness away as he headed for the thermos that Nick lent him the day before. When the fox came to mind, the past dinner talk also knocked in his head.

While eating the pizza, they had talked about Liam's 'mission' in Zootopia, of his so-called research on the remaining Night Howlers that were still around. Nick then pointed out that they knew about a new agent coming from Animalia, but they didn't receive any info on who the guy was.

Nick's reply was unsurprising, seeing that the whole thing was actually a lie. Alan's modification of the documents was done in a last-minute sort of thing, and while being near perfect, the ingenious furball forgot to write out about his species. So the ZPD knew his name, but not his aspect, and that was a bit comforting for Liam; the fewer mammals were aware of his presence, the better.

The coffee felt wondrous on his tongue, and he couldn't help but let out a small moan as the caffeine started to work. He heard an almost silent snuffle coming from his earring, and he smiled softly; Alan had finally run out of fumes and fell asleep, probably on his workstation. Hormone modifications allowed the dog to stay awake almost always. The need of sleep shrunk to just 8 hours per week, normally slept in one chunk for greatest effect, though he napped from time to time during the day just in case a long haul was ahead.

Sometimes the dog overestimated himself, and he ended up falling asleep without even noticing, something that baffled Liam to no end.

Finishing his cup of coffee, he picked up his sleeveless hoodie and headed for the bathroom, preparing himself for what he felt was going to be a long day ahead.

* * *

A yawn, followed by the sound of satisfaction, came from Liam's earpiece, "Mmm, morning, Lee." There was a squeak, followed by rapid taps on a keyboard. "I must have nodded off- sorry" Alan yawned as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Liam snorted in amusement, and pushed his hands forward, easily passing through the incoming herd of moose. Nick followed, trailing just behind his tail to avoid collision with the mammals. "That's an understatement; It's 8,20 AM" The cat muttered, a hint of mirth spilling in the tone.

"WHAT?" Alan yelped, there was a scraping sound as Alan scrambled for a timepiece. "I need an alarm!"

Liam' snorted again, much stronger, and he could feel the inquisitive stare of the Fox behind him. "You have a computer that runs on quantum computing, and you still need an alarm?" The mirth turned into disbelieving amusement, and the cat shook his head in exasperation at the sputtering that came from the other end.

They were heading for the precinct so Liam could talk to Chief Bogo about his arrival and consequent case about the Night Howlers; He will blatantly point out that the best chance was to discuss the whole thing with both Officer Wilde and Hopps.

Irritated by the continuous rustling coming from the earring, Liam directed his attention on the Fox now beside him. "Nicholas."

The vulpine didn't turn his face, but his ears flickered in the cat's direction, acknowledging him. "It's Nick." was the short reply.

Nodding at that, the feline gestured to the precinct in the distance. "What can you tell me about Chief Bogo?" The cat wanted knowledge about this cape buffalo, and how to get in his good graces; the better mood he's in, the higher the chances of him approving his presence in the ZPD, and thus, making it easier protect Nicholas.

"He's an ass." Started Nick, and Liam let out a startled chuckle at the unexpected response. Smirking, Nick continued. "But he's a no nonsense guy. He loves his job and wants it done correctly. Carrots described him as _'a tough cape buffalo with 2,000 lbs of attitude'_ ; Gave her a hard time at first, until she slapped the Night Howler case right in Mr. Buffalo Butt's face, and convinced me to join the Blues." There was pride in his words as he talked about Hopps, and Liam could feel the fondness of the Fox for the bunny.

"Speaking of, where is Officer Hopps?" The cat didn't exactly want to meet the bunny, but seeing that she was partnered with Nick, he would have to befriend the rabbit. Plus, she was the one who solved the whole case he was 'working on', so it would make sense that he would be interested in meeting her.

"Knowing Carrots, she's already in the precinct, babbling Clawhauser's ears off on what to do today." The matter-of-fact tone dictated that he was talking out of experience.

They entered the precinct, and, confirming Nick's statement, there was Judy Hopps, a gray bundle of energy and hero of the ZPD for solving the feral animal's case, babbling to a… _Plump cheetah._ "What the fuck..?" The not-so-silent whisper came out before he could block it, and Nick's amused snort was even less.

"Welcome to ZPD precinct number 1, headquarter of the police force in Zootopia; but you already knew that, didn't ya, pal?" Nick spread his arms to include everything in the building, turning around and giving Liam a lazy smirk. He pointed behind himself, to the two still yapping mammals.

"The dumb bunny over there is my partner, Judy, and the cheetah is Benjamin Clawhauser." He then motioned for Liam to follow him, prompting the cat to do so. The _still chatting animals_ paid them no heed, too focused on the argument of the conversation, when Nick appeared behind Judy and poked her sides, causing her to squeal and jump about twice her height in surprise.

When she landed, she spun around and punched Nick on the arm, eliciting a groan from the Fox, who cradled his arm in pain. "I've told you a thousand times; don't do that, you dumb fox!" The way she pouted, face alight with redness from her embarrassment, was adorable. Liam smirked at the interaction, before coughing to attract their attention.

Clawhauser squeaked out in reflex and leaned on the counter while Judy's ears sprung up as she turned to look at the black wildcat. Throwing an inquisitive glance at the fox, who shrugged and gestured at Liam.

"He's the officer from Animalia coming over for the Night Howlers still around. Why don't you help me show him where Bogo is, Carrots?" She smiled at the news and nodded, before extending her hand, meeting Liam's own halfway.

"Officer Hopps, I can't wait to work with you, Sir." The cat's smile widened slightly at the enthusiastic tone of the rabbit and shook her hand.

"Lieutenant Reed, likewise, officer."

"She's cute," Alan quipped, "If she were in Animalia, I might commit to that..."

Annoyed by the sudden quip from the Shepherd, Liam shifted, turning his right ear to the side, and allowed himself a slight smug smirk. He couldn't talk back, but that didn't mean he couldn't do things to get the same message across. And what better message than pointing the earring's camera to a donut-munching cheetah?

Alan whined as the camera moved, "You are evil. Why the sudden protectiveness, or are you just jealous?" Liam could _feel_ the devilish smile on the dog's face, and flickered his ear in annoyance once more. He knew that he was acting a bit childish, but he really didn't want to hear Alan's sexual opinion on every single animal that they may interact with. DEFCON 0 really made the dog relax, something that Liam couldn't do.

Bogo's door was open for everyone to see, the cape buffalo working on something on his computer, squinting his eyes in his glasses and frowning thoughtfully. Mumbling something, he reached below the desk to grab a yellow folder and spilled the content onto the desk. A quick but sharp knock on the door attracted his attention to the entering trio, causing him to raise an eyebrow at them when they snapped into a salute in front of his desk.

Liam took point before anyone else could. "Lieutenant Reed, reporting from Animalia regarding the remnant of the Midnicampum Holicithia."

The cape buffalo's eyebrows rose even more at the declaration, until he spotted the shining silver bar on his belt, next to his pistol. The engraved acronym for Animalia Police Department glared at him, daring the Buffalo to deny its existence.

"He's very butch. I know a few guys who would be all over that." Alan noted idly. The yell of "FINISH HIM" resounded in the background. Liam tapped his microphone twice to show his assent on the statement.

Bogo reached below his desk once more. "I have already arranged a folder with everything on the Night Howler case that our expert is knowledgeable of." He dismissed the salutes of both fox and rabbit and handed another mundane yellow colored folder with a simple "LT" wrote in black, thick marker.

Liam picked it, opened it and sifted rapidly through the whole document to get the major details on the whole thing.

' _Night Howlers contain psychotropic chemicals that have deadly effects on animals exposed to them. However, concentrated amounts of the plant's chemicals will cause larger animals to become savage if they are exposed, causing them to lose higher reasoning functions and violently lash out at anything that moves.'_

"Seems familiar, doesn't it?" Liam nodded, both to Alan and Bogo for different reasons. He put the folder in his shoulder bag and turned to the cape buffalo.

"I'm going to start my research as soon as I've been updated on the whole case, that means Officers Hopps and Wilde's personal opinions on the matter." He pointed at the duo, one perking up and the other giving a lazy nod. He missed Bogo's frown.

"A team has already been informed of their role. Wolfovitz and Delgato will aid you in the case and answer whatever question you will ask as best as possible. I can't afford to lose my best officers to this case; There has been a marked increase in crime across the city since Bellwether's plot, and I need Hopps and Wilde at their best." The cat stopped by the door and turned around, a small, innocent smile on his face.

"That wasn't a request."

Bogo blinked in surprise at the authoritative tone coming from the cat, before frowning and leaning on his desk, looking at the cat straight in the eyes.

"Excuse me?" he asked, slowly.

Nick and Judy watched in awe as Liam walked nonchalantly to the ticking-bomb that was the cape buffalo and fished out a sheet of paper, and handed it to him.

"That was an order." The purr was loud enough for the fox and the rabbit to hear. The cat could feel his smile turning into a smug one as Bogo's eyes scanned the paper for anything that could allow him to yell bullshit, but he didn't find anything.

"Get rekt!" Alan exclaimed loudly, whether he was saying it to Liam or to whatever game he was playing the cat knew not. He flickered his ears at the sudden outburst from the dog but allowed his smile to widen a fraction. Bogo's frame seemed to deflate in surrender and gave a weary sigh as he finished reading the sheet.

"I will assign Hopps and Wilde to your case, Lieutenant" He handed the paper back to the cat with a displeased grunt, before turning his attention to the two small mammals. "Tell Clawhauser to give you the keys for a four seater. You will keep patrolling while answering whatever questions the the LT might have."

Liam's lips pursued in an amused smile; The Buffalo still fought when it was clear it was a losing battle. The patrolling was actually a bonus; he'll be in the same car as Nicholas, making his job thousands of times easier, so Liam counted that as a victory.

"Is there anything else, Lieutenant?" Asked a frowning Bogo, and Liam shook his head, smiled amiably, and turned 180°, gesturing with a hand to the small mammals to follow him. "That is more than enough, Chief."

Liam dismissed his glare and smiled at the two wide-eyed, gaping mammals. He rested a paw on their shoulder and guided them outside the office, closing the door with a single foot.

It was good to be a super soldier with a genius dog backing you up.

* * *

"What was that?!" The slight hysteric voice of Judy Hopps didn't reach outside the SUV, but it sure did attract the attention of the mammals inside it. Liam's eyebrows went up, amused at the wide-eyed look that the rabbit was giving him.

"What was what?" He asked, before looking down at the opened folder in his lap; the whole document on the Night Howler flowers and their properties was a bit disappointing.

' _The night howlers are small-medium flowers that have six violet petals and several yellow pistils and stamens. Night Howlers are grown from root bulbs, which can be mistaken for onion bulbs._

 _Night Howlers contain psychotropic chemicals that have deadly effects on animals exposed to them. However, concentrated amounts of the plant's chemicals will cause larger animals to become savage if they are exposed, causing them to lose higher reasoning functions and violently lash out at anything that moves._

 _The night howler's chemicals can even affect animals that do not have a naturally violent or ferocious disposition - as evidenced by their ability to turn non-predator animals, such as rabbits, aggressive.'_

This was the most interesting part of the whole document, and it disturbed Liam a bit; the similarities between the Night Howler formula and the Valahraoin regarding the mental assault were high.

"I think she meant the verbal beatdown that Mr. Buffalo Butt took just ten minutes ago." Explained an ecstatic Fox from the driver seat. He kept shifting, grinning from ear to ear since they got the keys to the SUV. The cat made a sound of comprehension.

"That, Hopps, was an assertion of power." He sifted through the papers until he found an image of a Night Howler; small-medium flowers that have six violet petals and several yellow pistils and stamens, just like the report said. 'It's incredible that such a tiny thing can cause so many problems..' He mused, looking out of trunk's window.

"Bogo wanted to put me with a different team, counting on the fact that I didn't have a say in the matter. What he didn't expect, was for me to have written permission from the APD Director; that allows me to make choices, such as choosing what team should aid me in my case if I deem it necessary." He stated, and took out a map of Zootopia, stretched it above the papers, and marked, with pins, possible places in the city where mammals could be trading the flowers by illegal means.

"I still think that that was unnecessary, sir. I'm sure that the other team was more than capable of handling this situation," said Judy, joining the cat in marking specific places; Cliffside Asylum, Dantville, Palma Bluffs, Saibah and Little Rodentia.

"Indeed, but, as I've stated before, I want you-" He pinned both officers with a pointed stare. "-two to help me in this case. You have shown incredible capabilities on your last case." Judy and Nick blushed and puffed up respectively under the cat's praise. Even if the whole Zootopia knew of their ordeal, if felt good to have their efforts to be acknowledged by a higher ranking officer.

"Plus," the cat continued, "You're directly involved with this Night Howler affair. You personally know their effects and have a clear opinion on the matter, which I would like to hear soon, possibly somewhere quiet." The duo nodded in agreement, and Nick turned right, drove around the square and started the turning trip from Troop St. to Fruit Market.

Nick waved a paw dismissively as the car rounded the corner. "We could always meet up at my place. Carrots could come over for dinner with us." He suggested as he slowed to a stop at the traffic light.

Liam gave a hum of confirmation and wrote "Dawn Bellwether" on the top right corner of the map. "That's a good idea, Offi-" The cat was interrupted by the radio crackling to life.

" ** _To all units, there is a 10-10 in progress, twenty's Pack Street. Multiple 10-32, this is a hostage situation! Use extreme caution!_** " The urgent voice of Clawhauser blared out of the speaker.

Nick and Judy sprung into action, Nick gunning the engine, while Judy turned on lights and the siren. Liam frowned, acknowledging the situation; 10-10 meant fight in progress, with multiple mammals with guns holding hostages.

The sound of typing reached Liam's ears, "L, don't show your hand just yet. I have a feeling that we'll need the ace" The cat rolled his eyes at the dog's reasoning and tapped twice with a bit of emphasis as if to say "Duh!".

"Hopps, Wilde." Called Liam, gaining the attention of one, and the ear of the other. He looked directly into Nick's eyes from the rearview mirror with narrowed eyes. "No stupid shit; We take it nice and slow, the easy way. I don't want stupid stunts or life-risking situations. Understood?" He declared each point with a cutting motion.

The duo nodded, serious looks on their faces as they speeded down the road, cars moving out of the way hearing the shrill sound of the siren.

' _I fucking jinxed it, didn't I?'_

* * *

There were four hostages. Three prey and one predator; A ram, a doe, a rabbit and a dog. Three were bound to chairs, which sat back to back. Was it mentioned that bombs, primed to go off as soon as the weight disappeared from the chair, were under each mammal? The fourth hostage, the doe, was to be used as leverage by the seven moronic mammals that had robbed the unfortunate jewelry store. The goons were currently tearing across Downtown Zootopia with two dispatch units hot on their heels.

Liam growled in frustration at the situation and readied the WP99. Sitting on the edge of the SUV's window, he signaled Nick to steady the car as much as he could , raised the gun, and-

"Fuck!"

Liam's attention was diverted from the van ahead to the other unit, and frowned when he saw the lion inside it holding his shoulder in pain, blood staining the blue uniform. A bike sped ahead of the car, and the cat's eyes widened as the coyote on the backseat raised an MP-2 in his direction.

"UZI!"

Liam bent quickly inside, almost ending face first on Nick's lap, making the Fox swerve dangerously for a second, stupidly avoiding the volley of bullets coming from the sub-machine gun. The bullets slapped against the windshield trying to penetrate the thick bulletproof glass, but to no avail; The non-lethal policy, unfortunately, only applied to the ZPD.

"This is getting out of hand, fast!" Judy cried as Nick sharply turned to the right, wheels screeching from the friction, holding onto the backseat of the SUV. Liam leaned his head outside, only for him to jerk back inside as the bastard on the bike fired another volley in his general direction.

"This is getting annoying, fast." He snarled, and shot a few bullets in the direction of the bikers, the resounding crack from the gun irritated his ears, and it gained the shocked attention of the female rabbit inside the car.

"Lieutenant, you're using lethal gun?!" Her voice contained a note of disbelief at his retaliation on the criminals. Liam fired another four rounds in response, catching the passenger in the shoulder and in the back; the coyote slumped on the driver, who started to swerve alarmingly due to the sudden deadweight.

"They're firing lethal rounds at a police officer's car; they have injured an officer, and almost killed another one, additionally they're holding a hostage to use as leverage for an escape. They dictated the rules, Hopps, I'm simply playing the game." Another round hit its mark, and the bike's front wheel exploded with an absurd bang; the bike flipped on itself, the two animals flew over the vehicle and landed in a rolling heap.

"Johnson! Rhinowitz! Take care of those idiots!" Liam yelled hastily to the other unit, and he received an equally hasty " _ **10-4, Lieutenant!**_ " from the radio.

The cat noticed the other unit stop near the thugs with the corner of his eye, and checked how many bullets remained in the gun.

"Seven rounds left. Guess It'll have to do for now." He raised his head and frowned as the back door of the van opened, revealing a smirking black bear. The mammal looked at the Police's car and turned around. Liam could see him pick something up, something big, as the other mammals inside the van were giving him space.

Liam's frown melted to gaping disbelief as the bear leveled the revolving barrels of an _M61-A1 Vulcan_ at them.

'You've gotta be shitting me.'

" **TURN LEFT!** "

The moment Liam roared those words, the machine gun went off. In the 6 seconds it took for Nick to complete the maneuver, over 800 rounds had been deposited on, in, and around the vehicle, causing major damage to the cruiser. Fortunately, all three occupants were, for the most part, unharmed.

"These guys aren't playing around, that's for sure." Nick ground his teeth as he accelerated, planning to use the moment of respite from the gatling gun to gain the space advantage.

"Sweet cheese and crackers! How did they manage to get their hands on _that_?!" Judy leaned over in between the seats to gape at the damage that the SUV sustained; The car had been riddled with holes that, fortunately, didn't hit the tires.

"My question is, why are they using so much force for just jewelry?" Liam's voice was a bit strained as blood started to seep through his hastily tied bandage. The regeneration factor will heal the wound, as long as it was free from objects in the harmed limb.

"You're hurt!" The cat stopped fumbling with the bandage to look at the rabbit beside him, giving her a pointed stare. " _No shit.._ "

"Can we please concentrate on the idiots we're chasing?" interfered Nick, turning right once again and appearing slightly behind the van. The face on the mammal driving the vehicle at their sudden appearance was priceless. Even more so when Liam pointed the WP99 on the tires, and scored two clean shots on them, destabilizing the van and causing it to flip on its side.

The van's remaining occupant immediately exited the vehicle as fast as they could, but the bear was instantly put out of the game by Nick and Judy's tranquilizer darts. Another one was shot by Liam's Glock 17, sending him into a muscle seizure because of the dendrotoxin.

The last two criminals entered the nearest building with the terrified doe, turning around the corner as Liam shot the last five bullets at them, hitting nothing but concrete, eliciting a growl of frustration from the feline

"Hopps, cuff these three and check in with Johnson and Rhinowitz, see if they're done, and tell them to haul their asses here." He ordered the rabbit as he re-loaded, who nodded sharply and grabbed the handcuffs Nick offered,

"Wilde, you're with me." He gestured the Fox to follow him and jogged up to the corner. Stopping at an arm's length from the end of the wall, he started to slowly rotate around it, gun pointed with a steady grip.

"Clear."

The entire alley was empty, and everything was in order, save for the smashed door on the left. Frowning at the blatant hint to follow them, he picked the Glock from the barrel and extended it to Nick, whose eyes widened in surprise at the weapon.

"It's better than the one you've got. 20 shots, releases a powerful toxin that blocks muscles for some hours; One dart is enough to debilitate a tiger, and you can switch between semi and auto-fire." The cat laid down the basics for the custom gun to the vulpine. "Don't lose it." he ordered, handing him a magazine.

"Got it." Nick answered by chambering the first dart.

Liam nodded and turned around, gun high, muscles ready to leap into action, and walked through the door, Nick in tow.

"Let's flush these assholes out."

* * *

 **Is it good? Is it bad? T** **hank you for your patience in reading this, I appreciate it!**

Also, I do not own Zootopia, just my own OC's!


	4. Soldiers without Flaws

**A new chapter! Yay!**

I apologize for any grammar mistakes or mistyping; English isn't my first language, and I'm still improving, but I think I'm fairly decent at it.

A collab with Rainbows and Twilight! (Link in the profile! Check it out!)

This time, we get something more.. awesome! Also, tons of references! See if you can find any!

 **So, here it is! My fourth chapter!**

* * *

As Liam and Nick entered the building, the cat immediately noticed two things.

The first being that the building was a storage facility. The whole structure was filled with crates of all different sizes stacked in a haphazard manner; the ambiguous sorting system a mystery to the pair of officers that had just entered in pursuit of the last two thieves.

The second thing was that proceeding down the room, they took notice that the building was strangely empty like it had been evacuated priorly. That brought both a feeling of relief and wariness to the two mammals; the lack of civilians would facilitate the course of the operation, but it didn't exactly explain to them _why_ the whole building was abandoned, while it was clear that everything being in an ordinary state.

Slowly approaching the door to the other side of the room, Liam signaled Nick to take position. The vulpine nodded and went to the side of the door, while the cat took the opposite side, and started to count down from three.

Liam dashed through the door, immediately spotting the two mammals; a husky and a hyena forcing the doe to walk. Raising his gun on instinct, he took aim and scored a bullet on the leg of the hyena, prompting his pain filled yelp and fall.

The other canine whirled around and started to shoot, forcing Liam to lay low against the crates neatly piled up on the side to avoid having his body riddled with bullets.

He peeked around the corner to see the husky drag the other mammal behind some crates while holding the doe at gunpoint.

"You aim that fuckin' pistol at me again, and I'll blow her pretty head off, ya hear me?!" The cat heard the pain filled yell of, he presumed, the hyena coming from the other side of the room.

He looked around from his position to locate Nick, and he was pleasantly surprised, and also horrified, to find him on the other side of the room, quietly sneaking behind the crates, completely silent, gun low.

"You both know how's this going to end. Why don't you make my day, be good puppies, and let me arrest you? You do that, and I won't hurt you. Much." Might as well wing it, and be a distraction on purpose. He swore he saw the little shit grin.

"Might I point out that just one of the mammals present is canine in genus?" Alan noted pulling up a map of the building.

"Yeah, and you could suck my dick while you're at it!" The angry yell of the hyena was music to his ears. He kept his eyes zeroed on the Fox, watching him slink around the two unaware idiots.

"Oh no, thank you. You see, I'm not fond of bipedal, five feet tall, angry dicks. I prefer the cynical, cunning type." He replied humorously.

He got a strangled choke in response at the unexpected answer. He smirked as the fox was in position, his gun aimed at the pair.

"Watch out!"

The yell of the husky made Liam vault over the crates and sprint to the nearest covered spot, shooting at the crates to keep the mammals at bay. Nick's pellet broke across the doe's flesh, as the husky had used her as a meat shield, and she fell, convulsions debilitating her body.

"Fuckin' blue!" The hyena swore, and shot two bullets at Nick, one grazing lightly on his ear, the other missing overhead. The cat growled lowly to himself, and sprinted past his cover to use a forklift's overhead guard as a springboard, and landed successfully on the crates that the two mammals were hiding behind, the level difference giving him the edge.

The second round from Nick scored on the husky's right leg, and the dog howled in surprised pain. To Liam's astonishment, he ran through the door and entered the other room. His disbelief was cut short as he heard the click of a gun, and, only thanks to his heightened reflexes, was able to shoot the hyena before the mammal could score a bullet on Nick.

The mammal went limp a moment after the bullet had penetrated his skull, spraying the floor with blood. Liam tch'-ed in distaste at the sight; he had to do what was necessary. If Nick were in danger, the cat's priorities would switch to the fastest way to eliminate the threat, or ensure the protection of his charge.

Speaking of his charge, he looked to his left and was met with the grim sight of a wide-eyed Nicholas.

"While I do commend you for your valorous act, you failed to account for the fact that this might be the first time our charge has been in firefight, let alone one with blood and gore; I would suggest that you snap him out of whatever state he is in, before it compromises our mission" Alan chastised worriedly

"Wilde." He quickly dropped from the crates, rounded the body, and placed a paw on the Fox's shoulder.

"Wilde!." But he got no answer.

"Nick!" He tried again, shaking him slightly. This time, the Fox flinched slightly and looked at him, surprise etched on his face, as if seeing him for the first time.

"You shot him." Not a question. A statement. Nick's eyes returned to the body.

"Hey, hey." Liam shook the Fox once more. "I want you to look at me." Wide, impossible green met stern, icy blue.

His request granted Liam sighed. "I want you to breathe in, slowly, through your nose." He put his forearm under the fox's nose so that the poor mammal wouldn't be able to smell the coppery scent of blood.

"And now exhale… That's it... Once more…" Three times, the fox inhaled, and three times exhaled, never breaking eye contact. Liam could feel the shivers subside, and he nodded at the Fox.

"Now, repeat after me. 'Liam did what he had to do. If he didn't, I would've died'".

Nick repeated, slowly. He did so one more time, before nodding to the cat, who smiled approvingly at his actions.

"Now!," The feline patted the fox's cheeks twice, led him through the door, purposefully shielding the fox from the corpse's sight, and leaned him against the wall, so he could recover from the shock.

"-You stay here until you're feeling better." Making sure that he was okay, the cat started to walk ahead.

"I have a mutt to catch."

* * *

The husky didn't actually go that far, just a room away; the sneaky little shit had ambushed Liam with a close quarters approach, almost succeeding in snatching the cat's gun after jumping off one of the storage shelves near the door.

They brawled on the floor, each trying to gain the upper hand, only for the dog to knee Liam in the stomach, effectively cutting the feline's breath, before grabbing the pistol and rolling away from the lieutenant.

The cat's eyes widened as the black barrel of the WP99 aimed at his head and quickly kicked the dog in the crotch, earning a satisfying yelp of pain, _so much pain._

"Well, there they go…" Alan murmured painfully, pitying the poor dog more and more as the poor canine kneeled in pain, clutching his poor jewels.

It was in that exact moment that Nick Wilde entered the room, gun high, and spotted them in their predicament. Raising an eyebrow, he met Liam's sheepish grimace with a confused stare, only for the cat to point at the kneeling dog; Nick got the message and shot from the lieutenant's Glock 17, hitting the canine on the side.

Liam seized the moment as the toxin contained in the pellet entered the husky's system, sprinting to him in order to perform a full takedown on the dangerous mammal. He was two mere feet away when said criminal's eyes snapped open and, with an angry snarl, lashed out with his leg, kicking the cat in the gut, cutting his breath off and sending him flying away.

Liam didn't actually see the kick per se. It was an unexpectedly fast movement that even his trained eyes couldn't pick up, and the result of the carelessness of his actions was a painful blow that almost broke his spine with just the sheer force of the impact.

He flew in, and through, the wall on the other side of the room; the impact raised an immense amount of dust that covered the small area. He slammed on the ground and rolled to a stop with a groan.

"Lieutenant!"

He ground his teeth as he pushed through the pulsing, protesting, pain emanating from his abdomen, and rose to a crouch, paw cradling the damaged area. He narrowed his eyes, trying to see the bastard through the descending dust, and the sight made his eyes widen in shock.

Red. A vivid, pulsing red. That was the first thing that his irises captured before the color took shape. The husky's pained smirk was irritating, but the shifting plates that were covering his body were the major concern of the cat. The red, tiny, metallic parts were covering the canine from head to toe at a frightening pace, shifting, combining and hardening to take an intimidating shape.

Under the span of ten seconds, the plates covered the husky, and a single eye lens glowed crimson, signaling the full deployment of the armor. Without warning, the blasted dog turned around and raised his gun toward Nick.

Liam's eyes, wide enough that his eyeballs could've popped out, shifted to an angry frown. Hand lashing out, a cable ejected out of his right hand's glove, and attached itself to the bastard's hand. With a harsh tug, the dog's aim changed and missed the fox by an inch, who dove behind a shelf full of crates.

The armor stilled for a moment, switched the pistol on the left hand, and grabbed the cable. Liam's eyes widened.

"Uh-oh."

The ungodly strength applied to the pull was something that Liam couldn't hope to achieve with his current conditions. Under the blink of an eye, the armor pulled, spun around, and let go.

The cat's disbelief rose as he found himself staring at the passing clouds on the roof of the building.

"Al." He called to the shepherd. " _What is that?_ "

"That battle armor looks to be a bastardized version of yours," Alan replied, stunned that there was another entity out there with enough tech to create an armor system even remotely close to the ANSA; there would be a report on the desk of the director tomorrow morning, a long one.

Digesting the information, Liam inhaled sharply, before letting out an exploding huff. He rose to his knees and narrowed his eyes.

"Aegis, activate p **rimary system.** " His voice gained a second, robotic tinge, as a silvery, liquid-like metal started to flow from his back unit, the I.P.H.U.; millions of minuscule plates started to form a solid, unblemished, silver coloured surface.

' **Aegis Neural System, activated. Primary system protocol, engaged.'**

Liam's eyes wandered downward, resting on his, now armored, right hand, with the cable still attached to, supposedly, the dog's hand; it brought a smirk to his face.

' **Warning, critical threat detected. Target is at 10.728 feet away from Nicholas Wilde. Engage immediately.'**

" **Activate strength module.** "

Blood started to pump faster, as the armor produced specific chemicals to provoke the production of adrenaline in the feline's body.

' **Strength module, engaged. Armor mode activated.'**

' **Waypoint, updated. Objectives, updated. Protect Nicholas Wilde from the critical threat.'**

Two small diamond shaped targets appeared on his HUD, one green and the other one red, with two specific objectives.

' **Eliminate the Target. Suggested location, this rooftop. Multiple paths to engage. Proceed as you see fit.'**

Liam _pulled_.

* * *

Dean Griggs panted loudly from inside the armor. Whatever the Fox shot him with, was taking its toll on his body, slowing his reflexes and speed immensely. He groaned as another wave of pain surged through, making his grip on the gun falter for a moment.

Growling, he ground his teeth and tensed his arm's muscles, forcing his hand to clench the pistol's grip and started to make his way to the Fox behind the crates.

" _This is Officer Wilde, I have a 10-35! I need immediate backup!"_

Whatever the mammal on the other end was trying to say was cut off by Dean's bullet grazing the fox's left ear, prompting a surprised yelp and a curse the vulpine.

The cop retaliated with three blind shots in his general direction, but only one hit its mark, bouncing off of his plated neck harmlessly. The dog didn't flinch, nor did he falter in his steps.

Until the motion sensor on his Heads-Up Display pointed a fast approaching being, right behind him. Whirling around, he fired two precise shots; the aiming module installed in the suit allowed him to shoot multiple bullets in sequence without recoil.

It was sheer skill, and a bit of dumb luck, on Judy's part to dive on her side as she heard the first gunshot go off. The first bullet tore a hole through Judy Hopp's right ear, and the second stopped in her left arm. Her pained scream tore through the building as she fell on the ground.

" **JUDY!** " The fox's yell was filled with painful concern for the rabbit, and Dean was almost amused at the pathetic display that the prey had shown.

Almost, because the cable on his wrist tensed. And then, started to pull.

It wasn't a gentle tug. Or a tug at all. He was standing in front of the writhing mammal in the first moment, and then he was flying at high speed through the roof, made a complete loop, and smashed against a wall. The concrete caved in due to the impact and his weight, and he went flying through the whole building, ending on the other side of it.

Dazed, he slowly stood up, and instinctively shook his head to try and clear the sudden wave of nausea that the flight caused. His motion sensors went haywire, as a crimson spot appeared on his radar, just two feet away from him. Lashing out behind him with a kick, he felt the limb connect with something hard, and heard the distinct sound of metal against metal.

Looking behind, his eyes narrowed as an armored suit's single crimson eye stared right at him, as if the intensity of the gaze could pierce his own protection.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked brusquely. The impact hadn't exactly hurt, per se; The armor ensured a top notch protection against almost everything, but the body could only take a certain amount of pressure before it started to show signs of distress.

The guy didn't answer him, and he felt his irritation flare at the tough-and-silent attitude this guy was giving him.

"Ya know, when someone asks you a damn question, you're supp-"

" **Irrelevant.** "

The double layered voice had a disturbing bass edge that made it sound almost robotic, and Dean got a really disturbing shiver with that feeling.

The fact that he got interrupted, with a rude as hell comment, finally registered. Letting out a growl, he punched the armor as fast as he could, and his hand became a red streak for a moment.

He didn't expect an equally fast, if not faster, gray streak intercept, divert, grab his wrist, pass it on the other side, and slam his open palm in his elbow's joint. With a thundering crack, his right limb snapped backward, and flopped around, broken and useless.

He stared dumbly, before his brain's pain receptors flared to life for a moment, only for the armor to inject inhibitors, effectively cutting the information traveling from the limb to the brain.

He looked at the impassive gray suit and narrowed his eyes in barely suppressed anger.

Time for payback.

* * *

It was a pitiful sight. He had been intimidated by the sudden appearance of the armor like a rookie and paid the mistake like one. He should've remembered his training, should've remembered who he was, but the shock of seeing… this had caught him off guard, and Judy was paying the price a floor below.

He was aware that his mission was to protect Nicholas, and only Nicholas, but he couldn't shake the feeling of guiltiness that assaulted him when he heard the fox's yell of horror at seeing his partner being injured. The armor's gentle presence covered that feeling with a slight layer of cold calmness.

He stared at the crimson armor, a frown on his lips.

' **Scanning critical threat, processing.'**

' **Auto - armor, engaged. Auto - strength, engaged. You may proceed.'**

Without warning, Dean shot toward the enemy, aiming his right fist toward to his midsection, only for the opponent to deflect the blow and retaliate with a frontal kick to his left knee, hoping to score a hit, and possibly snap his bone.

Foot met knee, though the latter did not yield to the strong attack. The inconel plates absorbed, and dispersed the force of the impact, reducing the impulse of the kick such that the force behind was only that of the husky's musculature.

The powerful kick had been nullified with a bit of physical strength and metal.

Taking advantage of the moment of stillness, the cat grabbed the foe's foot, lifted it up, making him stumble at the sudden shift of his center of gravity, and lashed out with a kick, hitting the red suit with a devastating blow on his chest.

The husky was lifted off the ground, and sailed through the air for a good moment, enough to flip in mid air and land on all fours, preventing further damage and humiliation.

He couldn't react fast enough to block, or even dodge the fist aimed at the back of his head, so he ended face first in the concrete, the force enough to crack the floor and vibrate the whole structure.

The red suit retaliated with an angry snarl, and a fist, striking his gray opponent' shoulder, unbalancing him. Sweeping the floor with his right leg, he clicked his tongue as his move failed, the armored feline hopping just above his limb.

Kicking the floor with his left leg, propelling himself toward the guy, and tackling him to the ground. He immediately started punching the suit below him, only to meet an unbreakable barrier that his opponent's forearm was.

Dean started to build a rhythm, when the gray armor suddenly bucked his hips, dislodging him in the process, and found himself on the receiving end of a two open palm strike directly to his abdomen; the force applied actually lifted him a good three feet in the air.

Taking the advantage, the cat reached out, grasping Dean's nape and right arm, twisting the limb behind the dog's back. Turning around the canine, he pulled, and the momentum dictated that Dean had to be thrown away with a spinning motion four meters away.

Using the inertia from the throw, the cat jumped through the air, landing near his criminal counterpart, before scoring a punch powerful enough to crack his opponent's armor plates. Relentless, the feline grabbed Dean's left arm and flipped him belly up.

With a flick of his wrist, the handle of the Mk-2 prototype blade detached itself from the plated glove. Another flick deployed the grayish, almost black, blade with a white outline; The inconel plates shifted, taking form so fast that the blade seemed to pop out of nowhere; the whole length of it shivered as a blue arc of electricity wafted along the temper line.

' **Critical threat scan, in progress. Data acquired, 54%.'**

Grasping the hilt with an iron grip, he raised the lethal tool above the armored dog's head, ready to cut it off with a single, clean, motion.

Without warning, the suit sprung to life, and grabbed his ankle - with his broken arm- and hurled him across the rooftop.

Digging his claws through the concrete to stop his tumbling, the gray-suited cat glared ahead, as Dean rose swiftly from the ground without a care for his dangling, broken limb.

" _Dysfunction detected, primary motor systems impaired. Rerouting power systems._ _"_

The feline's gaze zeroed on the blinking, crimson eye on his opponent's visor, and allowed himself to frown thoughtfully at the blatant information that he was gaining.

' _They even have an AI installed on it. Question is, is it weak, or strong?'_

" _Unknown threat detected, analyzing._ **"**

The was something... wrong with the way the AI spoke. He couldn't point the specific detail that gave that feeling away, but it had to be its speech pattern.

" **Al. Break it down.** " The cat mumbled in the armor's microphone.

"The armor really shouldn't be able to do that; there should be some operator protection protocol, also note that there is no duality in the voice which leads me to believe that the 'AI' has commandeered the armor; that would indicate at least some level of consciousness, but I don't think that ACORP has created an actual strong AI… so it is probably a very advanced daemon…" Alan rambled, dissecting the situation rather quickly.

The cat frowned, staring at the suit in front of him with a passive glance, filtering the information and connecting the links to what he already knew.

" **...GenSys?** " He asked a heartbeat later.

"Possibly, I have been hearing that name an awful lot around the office lately. We were told that there would be unknowns… GenSys could very well be what we are ultimately up against." Alan replied thoughtfully.

' **Critical threat scan, in progress. Data acquired, 76%.'**

Liam readied his sword as Aegis pinged the percentage once more, and breathed in, his whole body tensing with the motion.

" **Should I subdue him..?** " The cat asked his handler in a tight whisper as his sword started to hum and vibrate, electric arcs dancing on the whole length of the blade.

"TRY to subdue him; but if the mission is compromised, lethal force is authorized," Alan responded.

 _'Heh... "Try," he said.'_ The cheeky smirk unwillingly appeared on the cat's face, and a certain mad, purple striped feline would've been proud.

Without warning, the crimson suit propelled itself toward Liam, and, only with dumb luck, the cat decided that dodging left, instead of right, was a better choice. Deflecting the right punch aimed at him with his left wrist, he smacked the other fist away with the flat of his sword.

Exposed, the dog retaliated, kneeing the cat on his left side, making the cat ground his teeth through the sudden sting caused by the strength of his opponent. The feline struck the side of the knee to successfully unbalance the canine and responded with a slash on the same limb. The vibrations on the white edge allowed the blade to cut the metal with the ease akin to hot knife through butter.

The stump started to bleed profusely, but the armor plates on the foot immediately left said limb to close the wound on the injured tight, creating an artificial support to rest. The construction happened in under the span of two seconds; plenty of time for the Aegis user to close the distance in between, and kick the Crimson user off of his feet.

The flight ended with Aegis grabbing the crimson's head and smashing it on the edge of the roof, breaking the concrete with two more hits.

With a growl, he pierced the armor, and the floor below, with the H.F. Blade; the high current completing its circuit and discharging the sword with a whitish blue shockpulse.

The armor deactivated with a dying whirling sound, and, finally, the being went limp.

' **Critical threat scan, in progress. Data acquired, 98%.'**

' **Critical threat, successfully subdued.'**

' **Waypoints, updated. Objective, updated. Return to Nicholas Wilde, As Soon As Possible.'**

' _That'll be more than enough for Alan to play with.'_ He nodded to himself and retrieved his inconel blade, tugging it with a wet squelch.

' **Warning, critical increase of temperature on waypoint #2. Imminent discharge. Evacuate, IMMEDIATELY.'**

"Get out of there!" The panicked yell of the dog made Liam act on instinct and a hunch.

He jumped off the roof.

The subsequent, fiery explosion further cemented that decision.

" **Well, at le** ast I tried." Liam said to himself as his armor retreated off his body with metallic snicking sounds.

* * *

The sight he got when he exited through the trashed building was not pretty. Judy's ear and arm had been bandaged, but blood was staining the cloth of the former quickly; he remembered that bunny's ears were full of blood vessels, and also pretty delicate. He could only imagine the pain that Judy was going through in that moment.

"Did you already call the ambulance?" The voice startled both mammals, and he couldn't help but grimace in sympathy. This was, probably, their first time dealing with lethal guns, and definitely their first time in seeing deaths. He got two tired nods at his question.

Feeling, again, that strange guiltiness at not being able to protect Judy from harm, this time without the Aegis tampering with his emotions, made him gulp a sour knot in his throat. He decided to achieve something productive to distract himself, and quickly reached for the car's radio.

"This is Lieutenant Reed, reporting for the 10-10, over." He huffed, feeling drained from the fight with the armored husky, and leaned on the car for support.

" _ **This is Clawhauser, what's your status, Lt.? Over.**_ " The chirpy voice of the plump cheetah piped in response, and Liam fought the urge to groan at the overload of sugar in it.

"Targets are subdued, the hostages are safe, and the bombs have been defused." He sighed, pawing his eyes for a second to re-organize the second part of his thoughts. "We have… Two injured officers, with a third with just a grazing wound, and two dead mammals out of the seven criminals. Over"

" _ **Roger, Lt. I'll inform Chief Bogo of the situation. Over and out.**_ " The, now serious and professional, voice of Clawhauser made him smile a bit. The cheetah liked to fool around, but he took his job seriously; he could respect that.

He heard the wailing siren of the ambulance making way to their position, and he reached out to Judy with his hand, offering his support to Nick in moving her in the car's seat.

"How's the wound, Hopps?" He asked, surprising himself at being worried for her well being. She grimaced, and a slight whimper left her mouth as her ear twitched; an instinctual habit, mused Liam.

"Could be better, but I'm doing fine." He smiled thinly at the blatant lie; her lip was trembling in pain, and her hand was sweating, but he didn't call her on it. The ambulance was here, and that was all that mattered.

"Are **you** hurt, Lt.?" The question came, surprisingly, from Nick. Liam turned around to face the Fox, a quizzical look on his visage. "I saw you being kicked through a wall, and then through a roof." He clarified.

Oh. That.

He saw Judy gape at both of them, confused amethysts darting between both predators, full of questions.

' _Well, shit.'_

"I'm more resilient than I look, Nick." The cat patted his sides to show he was telling the truth. "Sure, I feel sore all over, but nothing a few nights won't correct." He waved the fox's concerned look with a hand.

Nick's look told him that he didn't convince the fox of his status, but Liam couldn't say anything else besides that.

' _Hey, I just fought and defeated an advanced armored suit designed to seek and possibly destroy you. You're in luck because I happen to have a specifically designed armor, but my job is to protect you!'_ Easy.

"How 'bout you and Hopps get to the hospital, while I go back to Bogo and report?" The feline suggested with a weary smile at the prospect of talking with the Buffalo. He sure as hell won't be happy to know the result of these events.

Thankfully, Nick stopped with the questions, and helped Judy get in the ambulance with the other injured officer, but not before glancing at the cat with a 'We're not done, yet' look.

He shrugged, and entered the bullet-riddled car, starting the engine on the second try. Passing by them, he lowered the car's window.

"I'm making dinner tonight. You both okay with fried tuna?" The seemingly random question startled both mammals into a laugh, giving their assents to the Wildcat.

Gunning the engine, he speeded past the other ZPD unit cars and headed to the precinct.

"Joy."

* * *

 **Is it good? Is it bad? T** **hank you for your patience in reading this, I appreciate it!**

Also, I do not own Zootopia, just my own OC's!


	5. Answers in the Dark

**A new chapter! Yay!**

I apologize for any grammar mistakes or mistyping; English isn't my first language, and I'm still improving, but I think I'm fairly decent at it.

A collab with Rainbows and Twilight! (Link in the profile! Check it out!)

This time, we get something more.. constructive. Also, tons of references. See if you can find any!

Also, beware. Things _might_ not be as they seem.

Also, I do not own Zootopia, just my own OC's!

 **So, here it is! My fifth chapter!**

* * *

Liam entered his apartment with an explosive, exhausted huff, and threw his shoulder bag on the couch without even looking.

The cape buffalo had been a demanding bastard; He had listened to Liam's whole report in silence and then had asked very precise questions.

' _What's the extension of the damage?'_

Severely large, in his opinion. Three injured officers, two dead criminals and a yet-to-calculate property damage amount; that included the jewellery store, what was left of the storage building, and the damage both parties may have caused during the pursuit.

He opened his, now provided, cabinet; The landlord hadn't batted an eye to Liam's request to buy supplies for his apartment, claiming that he would do it once 'the other cop is done with his'.

The glass of Martini in his hand was very well worth the expense.

' _Any casualties?'_

Fortunately, none, without taking into account the two criminals, but Liam knew that Bogo meant civilians. He had scrupulously retraced the street to check on any individual that may have gotten hurt in the crossfire; His result had been just a lot of broken windows and bullets embedded in walls.

' _I assume you're going to take full responsibility for the injuries that my officer received today'._

He had specifically explained that he was willing to take Judy's injury as his responsibility, but he wouldn't cover Delgato. Bogo couldn't expect the cat to protect someone from a volley of rounds _while being in another car_.

He'd been proved right when Bogo had stood up and dismissed him, just as the clock had pinged the three hours mark.

He slid the balcony door open and let out a sigh of contentment as he sat down on the chair, letting his gaze wander on the bustling mammals below. Picking up his phone, he read the glaring 6:27 PM. Another hour and something, and he'd start cooking for his two friends.

 _Friends?_ Was that how he felt about the fox and the bunny? He had known them for… less than a day and almost 9 hours respectively.

Friends.

Acquaintances.

Partners?

Yeah. Now it had more sense.

"You know your friends are going to have questions… Right?" Alan asked, spinning in his chair, gaze unfocused.

 _Dammit, Alan._

"What are you now, psychic?" Muttered Liam as he spun his glass of Martini, the carmine liquid swirling around in a hypnotic motion.

"Possibly, though it stems more from our ... _connectedness_ , than anything else." The Shepherd mused, adding a bit of speed to the spinning.

Liam's eyes rolled as he shifted in his seat, and prepped his paws up to the small table in front of his wooden chair, slowly sinking into it as the last rays of the waning sun washed over his form.

"You know that I didn't want _that_ to happen. It just _happened_." He took a sip of the bitter liquid, and took a cube of ice in his mouth, and started to chew on it.

"The less this thing is spread, the more relieved I am."

"I know you didn't mean for it to happen... But what a way to make a first impression…" The canine's smile was lecherous, and Liam's lips twitched.

"And now the big quest-!; how much should ... tell them; and how ... will you ... them?" The Shepherd asked, his voice becoming distorted and choppy like he was speaking in slow motion, towards the end.

Liam frowned and tapped his earring twice. "Al? What's wrong? Audio is bad, you're cutting out." He picked the jewel off his ear and his frown deepened when he noticed that it was sizzling slightly.

"... Was proba- damaged ... fight ... -ield repair ... necessary." The static grew worse, and the dog's voice slowed to a halt at some point, and Liam snorted in irritation. He fished his phone out of his pocket, tapped the quick call button twice, and set the speaker on. The other end picked up after the second beep.

"Ja ne?" Was the response.

"Don't 'Ja ne?' me, you nerd! The hell happened to the earpiece?" He asked, irritated at the continuous sizzling and high pitched whine coming from the piece of technology. "So much for new upgrades."

"I prefer the term otaku, and I told you; it was a prototype…" The terse answer of the dog made him snort; the way that Alan defended his own passion was stupid, fervent and astounding. Still stupid, though.

Sighing loudly, he activated the phone's camera and pointed it at the earpiece, who had started to emit a thin, greyish line of smoke. "And whose _brilliant_ idea was it to send me a _prototype_ , on a mission where our _lives_ are at stake?" The sarcasm and irritation were rolling off his mouth in waves, mostly because he just noticed that his fur near the earring's hole had been singed.

"Well to be fair you had broken your last set, or it would've already been on its way out before you were assigned the mission" There was a hint of exasperation in Alan's voice as he analyzed the failing piece of tech.

"And you must realize that I don't mass produce these. These are handmade by myself." There was a shuffling sound as Alan moved around the room with his chair.

Liam sighed as he realized that this may take more than he thought it would, and headed to the kitchen, set the earring on the table, pointing the phone's camera at it. "So, what's up with the ear tech?"

"I won't be able to tell you until you take the bloody thing apart; there is a precision toolkit in the duffel," The dog said as he brought up schematics for the earpiece.

"Sure, do you want some tea while I'm at it?" He still headed for the duffel bag in his bedroom. He sifted through the clips and magazines, and 'ha-ha!' -ed when his paw gripped a small case in an internal side-pocket.

He returned to the kitchen with the sound of things moving and Alan mumbling lowly.

"Why does it look like a weapon cleaning kit?" Liam asked as he withdrew the parcel, and sat behind the phone.

"That would be because it is; with a few extras added in, of course." Replied Alan distractedly. The cat looked at the 'repairing kit' and raised an eyebrow. Shrugging, he opened it and did a quick examination of the content.

"So, how do I 'take the bloody thing apart', Fuzz?" He asked, taking a really small wrench in between his claws.

"Remove the screws from the caming with the .025 hex wrench then lift it using the .08 flathead; afterward, use the .02 star wrench to remove the screws securing the mesh…" The cat stared blankly at the back of his phone, processing the information, as five seconds of silence widened to ten.

"Did anything I just say make any sense to you?" The dog asked, growling irritatedly. Liam's face gained one big ass-cheeky smirk.

"Nope!"

Alan facepalmed, and snarled, though the feral noise was immediately squashed when a cold, high-pitched beeping sound started to emit from the other side of the phone.

"Yo, down boy; I still need your thinking here." The smirk turned into a perturbed frown in less than a second, and Liam's lips tightened at the sound the phone was emitting.

After a few calming breaths, Alan responded, "Don't. Make. Me. Repeat. Myself. Again." Liam frowned at the tone of the dog and clicked his tongue.

"Al, relax, no need to get worked up. I can repair this thing, I was just messing with you." The cat shook his head and started to dismantle the shell of his earpiece without a word.

Alan cackled lightly, "You are _sooooo_ sleeping on the couch the first night you get back."

Liam raised his head and blinked twice, before giving a smirking huff. "I can live with that. It's not like I haven't been sleeping on my own since I was given the mission. That was... a week ago, right?" He stated with a nonchalant voice as he detached the golden camming from the dark steel component.

"Plus, I think Mr. Wilde is really handsome in his uniform." He gave an exaggerated, slightly sheepish grin at the jab, glad that the phone's camera was focused on the tech piece.

Alan sighed, "See the wire next to the speaker between the capacitors? There should be a screw holding the speaker to the board. Remove that screw, then remove the wire from the speaker with a .025 Phillips head screwdriver…"

As the cat compiled a shock ran up his arm, causing him to yelp in surprise, "What the hell, Al!?"

"Did I mention that those capacitors are live? Alan asked, chuckling to himself.

Liam scowled at the dog's idea of a comeback but returned his attention to the screw. "We have yet to decide what we should tell them." A small flinch as another tiny shock coursed through his body had him curse out loud. "Fuck! I say that we explain what we think what that armor was."

"An advanced prototypal battle chassis?" The dog responded, tapping away at one of his many keyboards.

"Is it? Prototypal, I mean?" The cat asked, waving the minuscule screwdriver around. "The ANSA is the hypothetical apex of ACORP's tech, and that is some advanced shit; I won't be surprised if they pull a warp device out of their assholes. But a prototypal battle armor designed off of mine?" The disbelief was thick in the feline's tone, as he returned his attention to the earring.

"I'm working on one of those..." Alan shot back in a playfully sarcastic manner, "But yes, a prototypal battle chassis."

"Let's go with just battle chassis and hope they buy it." Liam poked the screw once more and didn't get a shock this time. "What now?"

Give me a close up of the speaker..." Alan responded, eyes bobbing up and down from the screen to the schematics, back-and-forth.

"What's wrong with this thing to begin with?" Liam whined, but complied with the order. His hand had started to cramp in protest to his stillness, and it had been itching for a while due to the multiple shocks.

"It's just a hunch, but I think the speaker membrane might have cracked; due to the extra functions added, I had to use a thinner vibration disk." At the answer, Liam got a closer look at the thing, but saw nothing in the wirey mess, so he shrugged and leaned back in the chair.

"So basically, the earpiece popped." Summed up Liam, gesturing to the mess of intricate, minuscule wires that was the earring.

"Not really, but close enough," the dog responded. "Also how's dinner coming along?"

Liam's confused gaze landed on his phone. "Dinner? Why should I make di-" The wildcat's thoughts halted and skipped backward. "DINNER!" He vaulted off the chair and sped to the fridge to pick up the fish that was supposed to be halfway prepared by then.

"Yes, dinner! You are entertaining guests other than myself. And don't forget vegetables for the bunny!" The canine's laugh echoed from the phone as he returned to examine the tech piece.

"Screw! You! Alan!"

* * *

The preparations for dinner were well underway when his guests knocked at the door, just in time as he finished setting his cutlery. The steaming fish gave a tantalizing aroma as he passed to open the door.

His smile didn't reach his eyes because of the white gauze acting as a sling to block Judy's arm movement in order to avoid further aggravations on the wound.

"Evening, you two." He nodded at each of them and stepped aside to let the two mammals in.

"How you doing, pal?" Nick went in as he patted the cat's shoulder, and went further into the apartment.

"Good evening to you too, Mr. Reed" Judy spun slowly around to soak in what Liam's dwelling was, eyes wide as she did.

"Please, it's Liam when we're not on duty." The feline closed the door and went to the stove to check on the happily frying fish. "And make yourself at home, dinner is almost ready."

He heard the shuffling of both mammals and the slight scraping of chairs being moved, and then the slight, musical intro that the TV made when it was being turned on.

"- mammals down on Banyon Avenue. And now we give the line to Geffrey Moode. Geffrey, can you tell us what's exactly going on, over there?" The snow leopard's image suddenly swapped with that of a hairy moose.

"Sure thing, Fabienne! Apparently, seven mammals assaulted the jewelry store on Baobab Avenue, "Holidaze diamonds", robbed the poor owner of the majority of his valuables, and fled in a van." The gangly moose explained with a very thick British accent.

"The ZPD's response was immediate, and as two units were in pursuit of the mammals, a bomb squad successfully avoided a disaster by defusing what seemed to be a very advanced explosive!" The camera switched to a close shot of said bomb squad.

' _Uh. Didn't know that Bogo wanted to assign me two members of the bomb squad. What's his deal?'_

Indeed, Wolfowitz and Delgato, fully dressed in a green and black suit, were talking while pointing at something inside the ZPD's van.

' _Probably the bomb. Should be able to get my hands on that, if needed. Might get a lead on where the armor came from.'_

"We did pretty well!" Judy let out a sigh of relief as she sagged into the chair.

Liam let out a snort at that, gaining confused looks from the rabbit and the fox. "We didn't do pretty good, Judy. You got injured, Johnson's at the hospital with a pierced lung and Nick got almost killed, twice." He stated and made a face as Judy deflated bit by bit with each fact. He felt the need to explain.

"I'm sorry Judy, it's just that we were reckless today, and the ZPD almost lost two of their best officers around. It would've been really embarrassing, not to say downright stupid, to have you die on me on the first day, when I practically kicked Bogo's ass to partner you two with me."

The blush of both mammals was worth the effort.

Taking the chance to change the mood, he turned his question on the Fox. "Speaking of injuries, how is she?" He nodded toward Judy as he flipped the tuna on the other side for the last time, glad that he was using a grill pan, and not a non-stick pan.

The bunny's scowl was something to behold; both adorable and terrifying, Judy's glare pierced the back of the Wildcat in a rush of irritation. "I'm here, you know? I can answer by myself, thank you." She harrumphed, folding her legs beneath her.

This time, Liam's smile did reach his eyes, and, as he flopped the cooked tuna on the dish to his side, gave her an amused look.

"I'm sure that you were going to say that you're fine, that I shouldn't worry about you, and that it wasn't my fault that you got hurt in the first place."

This time, the redness reached her ears, lighting them like candles, making both predators laugh at the sight.

As he set the first plate on the table in front of Nick, who nodded in thanks, he inquired once more. "So?"

Nick's gaze went from the wildcat to the bunny in front of him, who was slightly shaking her head. Giving her a shrug, he turned again to look at the feline. "Just a week or three without anything exciting for her, and she'll be okay."

Judy gave a not-so-sneaky kick to the Fox opposite of her, and mouthed "Traitor". Nick's cheeky grin turned into a strange mix of pain and amusement. And raised his paws to mimic quotation marks. "Doctor's orders, Carrots."

Liam's smile became one of exasperation. "Why would you even want to hide the fact that you're not capable of doing…-" He interrupted himself as he processed his own question. "- Right, never mind. Stupid question." He shook his head at that and plopped his and Judy's steaks on their respective plates.

Said bunny's ears lowered, and so did her voice.

"I just didn't want Nick, or you, to worry about me. I can take care of myself; I've been doing that since I was twelve, and-" The sudden motion of the plate being placed quite forcefully in front of her, and the sight of Nick pointing a fork to her face made her stop.

"Don't even think of saying stuff like that, Fluff! It's your health we're talking about, not a joke or something. You were shot, and that's no laughing matter." He waved the fork in front of her face like a threatening stick.

Judy went cross-eyed following the bobbing motion and gave a small smile at the worried look that her partner wore on his face.

"Thank you, Nick. And you too, Liam." The cat's smile waned a bit at the gratefulness coming from the lagomorph and grabbed his plate on the counter a bit tightly, so much that it started to tremble.

' _I should've been faster.'_

The cold, calculative presence of Aegis engulfed the guilt and deterred it from going further in its path. The subtle shift in his emotion went unnoticed, just like the sudden relaxation of his shoulders, as he turned around and sat next to both mammals.

"I called a friend of mine" he changed the argument abruptly, gaining the curious glances of his partners. "He's really into advanced tech, and I told him what happened today." Explained the cat, taking the first bite of his fish.

His taste buds exploded in a shrill cacophony of hallelujahs as the morsel landed on his tongue. Aegis' presence intensified to the point that some Inconel plates attached on his back thankfully concealed due to his shirt.

"...He conjectured that that thing might've been a battle chassis. We do not know if it was a mere prototype or a complete product of something more." He motioned for the two of them to eat, and they quickly took a piece out of their steak.

"This... armor was made with the purpose of attacking; The defense was sorely lacking in that chassis, strengthening the hypothesis of it being a prototype." He continued, waving slightly his fork with a piece of steak he had stabbed priorly.

"Wait, how do you know that?" Nick's confusion was echoed by Judy's gaze, and it became more so when Liam's positively smug smirk flashed at them.

"I have yet to see someone survive a bullet through the head, Mr. Wilde."

The mentioning of the cat killing someone caused the Fox's gaze unfocused, and the bunny's eyes widen at the notion. The feline snapped his fingers in front of the Fox, who shook his head and shuddered.

"Nick?" The concerned voice of the bunny cut through the, if not for the tv still turned on, silent room. The vulpine looked at her and shook his head with a lazy smile.

"Everything's alright, Whiskers. I'm more tired than I thought I was." He avoided eye contact by eating another piece of his steak.

Liam looked at the fox and said nothing. It wasn't his place to tell what was afflicting Nick, and if the vulpine didn't want his partner to worry, who was he to deny his silent request?

Oh, right. A jerk.

"I shot one of the two criminals that we were following, scoring a fatal wound. Bogo's been informed of the fact that I acted on behalf of Nick's safety; Had I not killed the mammal, we wouldn't be having this conversation." He gave a pointed stare at the downcasted fox.

"I'm not sorry for killing that guy. It was a do-or-die situation, and I'm not regretting choosing the obvious choice. I'm not sorry, I won't be; and you shouldn't, either." The tone was meant to be firm, but it turned mellow when the fox's ears turned upwards.

"But who was that guy? Who did he work for?" Interjected Judy, lightly scratching her injured ear, prompting the vulpine to smack her hand with his fork. Liam grimaced at the unresolved question.

"That... I do not know. The chassis was really advanced in technology; something that only a few big shots can get." He stabbed the last piece of the tuna with an irritated grunt. He caught with the corner of his eyes Judy making a disgusted face when she found tiny pieces of steak and sauce sticking to her fur.

"Big shots? How big are we talking about?" Inquired Nick, pouring glasses of water for all three mammals.

Liam drank the cool liquid, wetting his dry throat, set the glass on the table with a dull thunk, and pursed his lips in thought. "Big as in, in the hundreds." He mused, licking his lips.

"Thousands?" Judy tried to give a range and weight to the hypothetical word.

Liam shook his head and clicked his tongue. "Millions, if not in the billion. Whoever created that thing, he, or she, must be really high in the system." The supplied info hit the two officers with the strength of a freight train.

" _What?! Why..._ Why would something like _that_ rob a jewelry store?!" Exclaimed Nick, eyes wide in disbelief, an action mirrored by Judy's gaping mouth.

"Why would someone create a battle armor?"

The question made Liam freeze, and consequently, the two mammals on his sides tensed. He knew he had the unpleasant task to voice the unanimous thoughts in everyone's mind.

"Kidnapping, intimidation, terrorism, a possible coup d'ètat... Target elimination." He listed, and his eyes unintentionally landed on Nick. His grim tone sent shivers up the two other's spines, and an unpleasant feeling settled in the feline's gut.

' _Who the fuck got ballsy enough to poke ACORP?'_

Liam picked up the empty plates and, as he walked to the sink, he tried to distract the two mammals with a question.

"Do you know someone who can give us a lead to... Doug Ramses?"

They were more than happy to oblige with an answer.

* * *

Garrett stared at the glowing tank, watching as the liquid shifted in lighting, giving it an eerie green hue. His gaze laid on the body inside it; The black panther known as Lily Edwards floated placidly inside the liquid, the steady rhythm of her beating heart gave away that she was still alive.

 _For now._

The wolf's gaze lingered on her, admiring her peaceful features on her face. He looked around the room, his eyes scanning each piece of equipment given to him to complete the operations needed.

His face scrunched up, a bad taste filling his mouth; he had refused and rejected their request as many times as he could, to protect her from this horrible project, but _they,_ in the end, won.

 _ **"Doctor Lockwood."**_

The static, robotic voice attracted his attention, as the panel opposite of the tanks lit up, and an image of a mammal, with a mask; the cheeky smile of a painted fox stared blankly at him.

Garrett felt a shiver creeping up his spine.

 _ **"I assume that the injection was a success."**_ The reverb echoed throughout the whole room, and the wolf felt his chest vibrate with it.

Gazing at the mask another time, he lowered his eyes to the floor, before closing them. "The vessel's body went into a neural shutdown after the inoculation. Incapable of withstanding the dosage, she fell into a coma; since the majority of the toxic fluid had been absorbed by the subject, as intended, the vessel was, and still is, able to sustain his body with -"

Garrett's droning was interrupted by the waving hand of the other mammal. _**"Spare me the details,**_ **Doc** _ **, and get to the point; When will it be ready?"**_

The wolf's gaze went from cold to downright steely.

 _It._

"Estimated time is one year in the best case scenario." he informed briskly, who growled in irritation at the given information.

 **"Do you need a reminder that I-"**

"With all due respect, _Sir._ -" The word felt vile in his mouth, and it felt good to see the tiniest flash of irritation course through the masked animal's body. "- I cannot accelerate the process' pace, lest I destroy everything achieved."

The silence that followed was deafening.

 _ **"See that it gets done, Lockwood. There won't be second chances."**_ With that, the screen went blank, and the whole room fell into darkness.

"Like I had one to begin with." The wolf muttered to himself and turned around to look at the second tank in the room, adjacent to Lily's.

 **VR-02.**

The minuscule body was covered in thick, pulsing, angry red veins, giving it a terrifying aspect.

 _It._

Garrett Lockwood's paw touched the tank's glass, and the warmness coming from it seeped into the mammal's paw. A weary sigh left the wolf, and he picked a tablet, and two red words glared back at him.

 **Project: GENESIS.**

 _An abomination._

Garrett Lockwood slowly fell to his knees, and placed a paw on his eyes, as the first, shiny drops started to fall. A whimper echoed in the dark room.

" _...Lily... "_


End file.
